EVANSVILLE, Ind. — A former Mount Vernon, Indiana, science teacher and longtime football coach could lose his teaching license because of an alleged sexual relationship with an underage female student that started in 1997.

A complaint filed May 31 by the Indiana Department of Education states Herman Paul Maier, commonly known as Paul, "committed acts that involve immorality, misconduct in office, and/or willful neglect of duty.”

In March, IDOE officials were made aware of an investigation conducted by the Mount Vernon Police Department and the Posey County Prosecutor’s Office regarding an allegation involving Maier and a former female student.

Through investigation, the student detailed an alleged ongoing sexual relationship she had with Maier that started around September 1997 when she was 14, the complaint states. The relationship allegedly lasted until her junior year of high school.

Maier’s attorney, Jake Warrum, said the Maier family “adamantly deny any wrongdoing at all.”

“This was investigated 20 years ago and found to be untrue,” Warrum said. “We are all absolutely shocked that it’s come back to life at this point in time.”

The former student said the relationship began with flirting, the complaint states, and Maier pulling her out of class and giving her notes. Witnesses claim to have seen the victim receiving or passing notes to Maier, according to the complaint.

On one occasion, the student claimed Maier took her to his house to have sex while his wife was out of town, the complaint states.

Charges cannot be filed against Maier per Indiana's statute of limitations.

Posey County Prosecutor Travis Clowers said Mount Vernon Police, with assistance from the Indiana State Police, investigated the case. Detectives brought it to Clowers in late March or early April, but after researching the statute of limitations, Clowers said Indiana law does not allow him to prosecute Maier.

"Basically too much time has passed, and the law does not allow me to file charges," Clowers said. "In these types of crimes, a victim has to come forward before (his or her) 31st birthday. ... It can’t go further. This is not my policy or me just saying it’s been too long. It’s actually Indiana law that says I can’t bring this case."

Metropolitan School District of Mount Vernon Superintendent Tom Kopatich said he cooperated with authorities after being contacted by police and IDOE officials and was made aware of the investigation.

At a June 4 regular meeting, Mount Vernon School Board members accepted Maier’s resignation as a high school teacher, according to board documents. It was effective immediately, as were the other resignations approved at the meeting.

Maier taught science at Mount Vernon’s junior and senior high schools for about 22 years, according to his LinkedIn profile. He served as Mount Vernon’s head football coach for 19 years before resigning Feb. 6, 2017, according to school board notes.

Warrum stressed Maier’s resignation was not connected to the IDOE complaint. He said Maier’s plan was to coach his son, then retire to seek a second career after his son graduated.

“After his son graduated, he resigned as the head football coach and he was simply waiting for a better opportunity to open up,” Warrum said. “That happened this year. This resignation did not come as a surprise to the school board or to the school corporation. They will tell you then knew he was actively looking.”

Adam Baker, IDOE spokesman, said the department is in the beginning stages of rescinding Maier's teaching license. Baker said it's early in the process, and he didn't believe a judge had been assigned to the case.

Next steps include naming a judge to the case, a pretrial hearing and then a hearing, Baker said.

"Because it’s an ongoing investigation, we can’t comment on that," he said.

If a teacher is accused of or criminally charged, Baker said one of two things can happen to his or her teaching license: IDOE can file to have it revoked and based on the situation a judge will determine what happens, or if a teacher is convicted by a judge first – "sometimes that’s the first we hear about it."

"If a judge does file a conviction against (the teacher) then we revoke that license automatically. ... We typically fall in line with how the judge rules based on those cases," Baker said.